Google decided to expand the reach of Google Earth by bringing it to the browser.

Today at Google I/O, the company unveilled the Google Earth API and browser plug-in. As the latest member of Google's Maps API family, the Google Earth API allows web developers to quickly turn their web pages into 3D map applications. They can now use the Earth as their canvas and apply their creative vision to a geographically rich, 3D environment, leveraging the same technologies Google uses in the desktop Google Earth client.

For consumers this means that they will soon see Google Earth in many more places around the web -- perhaps even their favorite web site.